What is prostate cancer?
Prior to answering what is prostate cancer, it is best to define the prostate gland. The prostate gland is found in the male reproductive system. It is located at the base of the urinary bladder surrounding the urethra which is the passage through which urine is drained before exiting from the penis. It helps control urination and produces several substances found in normal semen like minerals and sugar. Semen is responsible for transporting sperm. However, man can survive without his prostate gland. The size of a man’s prostate gland usually enlarges with aging. Such process is called benign prostatic hypertrophy which is a condition that does not have anything to do with prostate cancer. Nevertheless, BPH and prostate cancer may cause similar problems in older men.
Prostate cancer is a malignant growth of cells from the prostate gland. The tumor usually develops slowly and stays within the gland for years. In its early years, the tumor produces little to none of the symptoms. But the cancer cells may metastasize to other parts of the body such as bones, lungs, liver, and lymph nodes. Symptoms are therefore noticed during the advanced stages of prostate cancer.
What is prostate cancer’s consequence? Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. After lung cancer, it accounts to the second leading cancer deaths. It is then recommended that upon reaching age 40, men must actively seek screening for prostate cancer on a yearly basis.
Causes of prostate cancer are still unknown. Risk factors associated with prostate cancer are: age, genetics (heredity), race, diet, lifestyle, medications, hormonal influences, and environmental factors including toxins, chemicals and industrial products. Age is the primary risk factor where prostate cancer under age 40 is very rare and is common in men above 80. Studies suggest that among men above 80, 50 to 80 percent may have prostate cancer. A family history of cancers increases one’s risk of having prostate cancer. Black American men have a higher risk than Japanese or white Americans. Diet, lifestyle, and other environmental factors are considered risk factors such that Japanese men who move to the United States significantly increase their risk. However, many men cannot determine why they develop prostate cancer. Other environmental factors like smoking cigarettes and intake of high saturated fat diets increase prostate cancer risks. Toxins in the environment might promote prostate cancer, although these environmental factors are not yet clearly identified.
Testosterone stimulates growth of normal prostate tissue and cancer cells. This hormone is believed to be involved in the development of the cancer. Decrease in testosterone levels usually inhibits the growth of prostate cancer.
What is prostate cancer’s primary symptom? The most common symptom of prostate cancer is bone pain (spine, pelvis, or ribs). Prostate does not display symptoms at an early stage. But advanced prostate cancer metastasizes to other body parts leading to more symptoms. When prostate cancer metastasizes to the spine, the spinal cord becomes compressed causing weakness of the legs and painful or difficult urination and defecation. Patients may experience blood in the urine.
Prostate cancers are usually first detected through abnormal blood tests or hard lumps in the prostate gland. The doctor feels the lump (nodule) during a routine digital rectal examination with the finger. Enlarged tumors can block the flow of urine resulting to the earlier mentioned painful urination and an enlarged urinary bladder. Prostate cancer first metastasizes to the lower spine or the pelvic bones. Then it may spread to the liver and lungs. When it reaches the liver, pain is felt in the abdomen and the skin may appear yellow (jaundice) in few cases. Lung metastases cause chest pain and coughing.
Screening tests are done regularly to detect cancers and other diseases at an early stage. Abnormal screening results require further testing to confirm suspicions. Prostate cancer is initially suspected after abnormal results in two screening tests: digital rectal examination and prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests. Digital rectal examination is a process where the doctor feels the prostate gland with the gloved index finger in the rectum. A lump, irregularity, or hardness on the surface of the gland is a finding that may lead to prostate cancer. It is recommended that doing a digital rectal examination must be done annually for men over 40. The PSA is a blood test used to detect protein released from the prostate gland into the blood. The PSA level is usually greater in people with prostate cancer than those without it. Results of PSA tests under 4 nanograms per milliliter of blood are generally considered normal whereas results higher than 10 are considered abnormal suggesting prostate cancer. Very high values of 30 or 40 are usually prostate cancer results. It is recommended that doing a PSA test must be done annually for men over 50. For people with greater risk of prostate cancer, PSA tests may be done annually upon reaching 40 years of age.
The only confirmative test for prostate cancer is a biopsy. It is the removal of small pieces of the prostate for microscopic examination. Other tools used to gather more information about the prostate and the urinary tract are cystoscopy and transrectal ultrasonography.
Decisions for prostate cancer treatment are identified after categorizing the prostate cancer. It may be organ confined (localized to the gland), locally advanced (enlarged tumor or has spread only locally), or metastatic (widely spread). For organ-confined prostate cancer or locally advanced prostate cancer, treatments usually include surgery, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, cryotherapy, combinations of treatments, or watchful waiting. For metastatic prostate cancer, applicable treatments include hormonal therapy and chemotherapy which are more palliative in nature. Palliative treatments are aimed to slow tumor growth, relieve cancer symptoms, or manage side effects of treatments.
What is prostate cancer’s preventive measure? There are no definite preventive measures as to how prostate cancer may be eliminated. Although, protective measures include proper vitamin intake and medication, frequent ejaculation, and intake of healthy oils and fatty acids like omega-3. Other studies reveal that tomato products (lycopenes), the mineral selenium, and vitamin E might slow the growth of prostate tumors in ways not yet understood or explained.